The Old Cat House

L

lynzy

Guest
Original poster
The property had a lot of space. Almost as far as you could see. A forest with a skinny river, more like a brook in the dry season, bordered it on the left flank as you faced it from the road...and the term road was a stretch too. Made of dirt and stones...mostly dirt and a lot of pot holes. On the right was the mountains in the distance. Some said there was a town near by too, but honestly it was hard to find if you had to blink you would miss it. The idea of an inn or whatever this place use to be in its hay-day being located this far out into 'no-where' was just nuts. But, here it was, complete with furniture, a working well and a large barn even with plenty of room for horses or whatever animals an owner would want to put there.
For being left on its own for so long it really wasn't in that bad of shape. Dirty, yes, somewhat in need of updating, there wasn't any electricity but at least there was an indoor toilet. Many of the locals believed it was haunted, but there was no real proof of it....yet. Definitely it was known to have 'weird' things going on there and it was 'best to steer clear of the place ifn' you were wise' as the local gas station attendant would say.
 
A plain, pale blue car had rolled to a stop, sputtering. There was a figure yelling and slamming the steering wheel, teeth gritted. "WORK, DAMNIT!" He thumped his face in the steering wheel, causing the horn to go off. "Out of gas in the MIDDLE OF FUCKING NOWHERE!" He didn't even know what to do. He just stood there trembling with rage. He was a male feline furry, and his fur looked sort of like a crazy zebra print, though the stripes were thicker and spikey. His eyes were a deep emerald green, but were closed as they twitched. "Just figures..." He grumbled.
 
A young girl with silver white hair, in a navy blue skirt and plain white shirt with black ballet flats on her feet, and was walking on carrying her back violin case. But she stops seeing a building . "It's quiet beautiful," she mumbles to herself. "but it looks so....rundown." She smiles to her self wondering what could be inside, so she starts walking towards. She was a so very curious girl.
 
She awoke with a start. Looking around she saw the creature that had so rudely taken her from her dream. Blinking and yawning she stretched her forearms then each back leg slowly and carefully and then both wings one-at-a-time. Then with a flick she settled them to her back and walked over to the car.
"Can I help you?" the dragon said with a tilt of her head so that one eye was on a level to see what the response would be.
 
The furry looked at her in a foul mood. "Are there any gas stations near this big pot-hole of a "Town"? My car just ran empty, and it looks like nothing for miles out here..." He continued to rant for several minutes about how he didn't even understand why places like this existed, so full of nothing but creepy stillness and silence. His chest heaved when he'd finally ran out of breath to shout with.
 
The girl walked inside looking around. "Wow," she said hearing the echo of her voice. "hm....its alright." She starts walking up stairs looking through different room. She looked around amazed, when she tried to turn on the light by flipping the switch she seemed a little upset. "The place doesn't even have electricity." So she sighs and continues looking through the home.
 
The dragon let her jaw drop a bit showing teeth and sticking out her tongue slightly in a lazy smile. "One, but this place is no where near it and this is not a town, you passed it up about 5 miles back. The station is back the way you came."


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The girl went from room to room looking the house over never really noticing she was being watched. Well, that is to say, that is what Sharell Liked to believe anyway. So far the small cat had made sure that her foot falls were silent and no shadows were left to be seen. Stealth was one of her most favorite games. Stalking this child was new excitement here! It had been a long time since anyone had been here at all, and she had pretty much ran out of fun things to do long long ago, except for hunting food of course.
 
The girl walk in one of the room looking through a window. She stared in amazement, the field behind this building was huge. Putting down her case, she looked closer toward the field, feeling calm.
 
Sharall peeked around the corner careful not to be seen. Her unblinking stare would have unnerved the girl if she had been looking at the cat. As it was the feline was trying to decide whether to be seen or not.
Being smaller than all normal cats had its distinct advantages and disadvantages. She could go almost anywhere and NO mouse was ever safe from her. Well... there was the one but chances are the fall into the well had killed him. At least he must have drowned, she liked to think so anyways.
Larger creatures needed a modicum of respect, if not else, definitely caution. They could step on you or even fall on you! A shudder ran through her spine at the thought of it. But why was this littler human here? All others had avoided this place but this one seemed to like it...
 
"I can't push my car five miles! And I don't have a mother-..." He stopped himself, fists clenched. He wasn't supposed to let it out like this. Panzy ass doctors. "Is there even a place to stay around here?" His fur was standing up on edge, his short temper showing through. His whiskers trembled as he looked at the strange dragon.
 
What an odd fellow this is, she thought to herself. Doesn't he see the inn? Oh! Perhaps I am in the way. The dragon chuckled to herself. She often forgot how large she was to others not fortunate enough to be a dragon. About 2 and a half stories high, with an iridescent blue color that sparkled in the light Marreth was an inspiring sight, her skin was as tough as a croc's or perhaps even tougher...she hadn't bothered to test that theory out yet. With a draconic smile she backed up a bit and off to one side.
"That inn over there is ...available." She waved one mighty claw in the direction of the large mansion.
 
The young girl picks up her violin case and continues her search around the building. She decides to peek inside a room that has seemed to be used. "Has someone been living here?" she ask to herself. She walks inside seeing the bed and sits on it. "Comfortable, i guess." She wondered if she could stay here. Feeling tears start up in her eyes, she quickly wipes them away.
 
Sharell decided to go for it, took a deep breath and stepped out into the open then sat on her haunches and waited to be noticed. Her prehensile tail wrapped around her with almost a mind of its own. The tip vibrated a bit out of nervousness. It took a lot of bravery to come out of the shadows. But this girl seemed to be sad and somewhat lonely.
The cat knew what it was like to be lonely. Her whiskers twitched at distant memories of rejection for being so small and odd. She never did fit in. A nose too long almost like a fox's, the prehensile tail that no self respecting cat would have, and the hair instead of fur. That was the clincher, her mother said, she was just too weird and basically shunned her. Dropping her on the doorstep of this establishment. That was when life had gotten a good deal better for Sharell. The good folk that care for the place had fed her and watched over her, making sure she wanted for nothing. Perhaps this little person was like her in some way. She had to be cautious tho, humans could be tricky!
 
The girl looked down at the cat, her eyes still a bit sad and smiled feeling a bit comfortable. 'A cat almost like...me.' She thought to herself. She decided to relax as her sliver cat-like ears, that had blended in with her hair, came up from her head and as her tail lifted a little under her skirt. Feeling happy a bit ignoring everything else just staring at the cat.
 
Her ears laid back against her head, a cat!..person...what? Then the ears cocked forward, then to the side ((A cat almost like...me...me..me..me..))
Now where did that come from?
Torn between the need to be safe and curiousity Sharell practically strangled herself with her twitchy tail. The girl could be friendly or she might want to kill me...She made a very timid smile. Her ears kept changing position as the little cat watched the feline-like girl across the room ready to dash if needed.
 
He exited our of his car and closed the door rather forcefuly. "Do you know who owns it?" He dusted his shirt off and flexed his fingers. He was dying to scratch something and relieve the tension in his knuckles. He took his suitcase out of the back of the car, still looking at the dragon, awaiting a response.
 
"Yes, well...'own' is not a word I would use to describe it. But I think you will find what you need there." Marreth winked and started back to her warm spot in the sun where she had been dozing before. She was a lazy beast but could move with the speed of lightning if needed. Just...it wasn't needed right now.
 
He shrugged at the odd answer and began to walk through the grass toward the building. As he came closer, he sat his bag down and looked around. It sure was beautiful here. He turned again toward the door and knocked on it softly, his furry hand making a very dull, soft sound. Frustrated, he hit it a little louder with his knuckles.
 
She looks at the cat with a sad smile then looks away. Humming sadly to one of her favorite lullaby's that her big sister would sing to her every night. Until that very day she never heard it again. 'I thought we would see the world together,' she thought, remembering her sisters words before she disappeared. " but I'm sorry.' She remembers tears rolling down her face. The girl was only seven and she had already lost everything. She had to live on her on making her own life.
 
The door gave way to the angry knock, showing that it wasn't locked, not even latched. As he stood there he could see the parlor and a hallway with doors to rooms on the right and left as you walked down it. Light filtered in through some drapes in a few of the windows, with out that he wouldn't have been able to see, as there was no electricity in the house. The furnishings were adequate but rather dated as no one had lived here in a long time, it seemed. No foot falls or call outs could be heard, the place seemed deserted.


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The fact that the girl didn't make a grab for her made Sharell settle down somewhat as she took a few timid steps in the child's direction. She also heard in her head a wobbly echo of of the girls thoughts, They weren't about grabbing her so that also reassured her. Something about a lost sibling. Cats normally don't think of siblings as a big loss so Sharell was a bit puzzled at the thought, but it seemed to be important in the child's mind so she shrugged and sat a few feet from the girl and mewed at her to get the girl's attention back. Those thoughts she kept having were rather disturbing...